Masonic Temple for sale in Manchester as membership falls

Jul. 6—MANCHESTER — The Masonic Temple near the intersection of East Center and Main streets, which for nearly a century has stood as the center of Masonic activities in town, is being sold for a half-million dollars.

Built in 1926, the Manchester Lodge No. 73 at 25 East Center St. was the home of the local chapter of a fraternal organization called the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story brick building with a front column portico was listed for sale around June 26.

MASONIC TEMPLE

WHAT: The Masonic Temple at 25 East Center St. is being sold for $500,000.

WHY: The fraternal organization that uses the stately building has seen a decline in membership. The building also needs repairs.

The Coldwell Banker listing touts the lodge as a unique property in the center of Manchester, adjacent to town government buildings and historic Main Street. The real estate agent handling the sale — Scott Custer, of the South Windsor-based Shea & Company — is a lodge member.

The asking price of the building and its 0.34-acre lot is $500,000. According to property records, the property was assessed at $546,200 last year.

Matthew Heinrich, the lodge's former worshipful master, cited the organization's dwindling membership and the building's cost of repairs as reasons for the sale. He said the lodge could find a new location or vote to combine with another local lodge.

The organization has another location — the Friendship Tuscan Lodge No. 143 — less than two miles away at 24 Golway St.

Heinrich said he was unsure if the East Main Street structure would be demolished after being sold. Given the brick building's grandeur — with its four columns spread across the front landing — Town Historian Susan Barlow said she hopes that the new owner finds a way to reuse it.

The building is sited within a Historic District listed on the National Register, she said.

According to historians, Freemasons belong to the oldest fraternal organization in the world, originating from the local guilds of stonemasons in the Middle Ages. With the decline of cathedral building, the group's focus shifted to philanthropy and social networking.

Heinrich said the lodge is a place for men who are interested in self-improvement and character development to associate with other likeminded men. The Manchester lodge conducts ceremonies that reinforce those virtues, in addition to supporting many charities, he said.

Some notable early Masonic leaders were founding fathers George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, and John Hancock. The Masons diverse membership also included Mark Twain, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Harry Houdini.

The Manchester lodge was established by charter in 1826, according to historical documents. The first home was in the upper room of a brick schoolhouse in the section of town now known as Manchester Green, documents state.

After bouncing around, it eventually settled at its current location on East Center Street in 1926, during a time when fraternal organizations were thriving.

Now, Heinrich said the organization's membership has begun to decline over the last decade. The Lodge now has just under 100 members, he said. According to historical documents, there were 574 members in 1924.

"I think it's societal changes," Heinrich said, referring to the declining popularity of fraternal organizations like the Freemasons. "There are many other things for people to do than there might have been many years ago. There is less of an interest than there once was in fraternal organizations."

Daughters of the American Revolution, whose Manchester chapter is called the Orford Parish-Pitkin, is another local organization experiencing a decline in membership. The group has about 40 members, down from its peak of around 70, Registrar Sue Cronbie said.

"Women are very busy these days between work and raising families, and a lot of women simply don't have the time to pursue it at this point," she said.

But Phil Stender, the secretary at the Manchester Elks Lodge No. 1893, said his organization has grown from about 460 members in 2006 to about 820 now, which he attributed to the group's helpful veterans programs.

"We take care of the children and the veterans," he said. "That's our number one goal."